OCEANSIDE — Greenbrier Village, Oceanside’s first permanent supportive housing development, opened earlier this month, marking a significant step in the city’s efforts to address homelessness.
The 60-unit apartment complex, located near the Crouch Street Sprinter Station, will offer housing and supportive services to individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Greenbrier Village has set aside 50 units for people experiencing homelessness, including five for veterans and three for young adults aging out of foster care. An additional nine units will serve residents with extremely low incomes, and one apartment will be reserved for the site manager.
“Residents are referred to Greenbrier Village through the San Diego Region Coordinated Entry System (CES), which serves as the centralized intake system for homeless individuals and families across the county,” said Leilani Hines, Oceanside’s director of Housing and Neighborhood Services. “This process ensures that referrals are made based on a prioritization of the most vulnerable individuals, as assessed by the CES.”
Applicants who live or work in Oceanside are given priority for Greenbrier Village. Hines noted that many current residents were referred through the CES after first seeking help at the Oceanside Navigation Center, the city’s sole homeless shelter.
The complex offers onsite case management services, including mental, physical, and behavioral health care and employment development, to help residents find and retain jobs. These services are managed by Hope Through Housing Foundation, the County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, with support from Interfaith Community Services.
Greenbrier Village’s amenities include case management offices, a central courtyard with an outdoor terrace and barbecue area, a community garden, and laundry facilities.
According to Hines, the project was made possible through a public-private partnership model typical for affordable housing developments. In 2022, the city committed $3.5 million in residual receipt loans to the project. These loans are low-interest loans that are repaid over time based on the property’s cash flow.
“For the Greenbrier Village development, the city was able to maximize its investment of $3.5 million and leverage $7 in private investment and other subsidies for every $1 in city assistance,” Hines said. “As a result, the city’s share of subsidy totals only $58,333 per unit.”
The project also received funding through 59 project-based vouchers administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, including five VASH vouchers for homeless veterans. These vouchers help keep units affordable for residents.
“Project-based vouchers are crucial to be able to provide the needed subsidies to bring the affordability levels down to 30% or less of the area median income,” Hines explained.
Additionally, nearly $6 million in No Place Like Home funds from the county, which support housing for homeless individuals, including those with serious mental illness, helped finance 29 units within Greenbrier Village. This project marks the first time Oceanside has received No Place Like Home funding.
Greenbrier Village also secured nearly $11.2 million in federal tax credits through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. Chase Bank and Hudson Housing Capital provided additional financing, bringing the overall project cost to approximately $25.4 million.
Hines expressed confidence in the project sponsors, National Core and San Diego Community Housing Corporation, in their commitment to helping the homeless or those at risk of homelessness.
“The team is experienced in permanent supportive housing, and with each project built, they have taken the opportunity to learn and adjust to the needs of their tenants,” she said.
National Core also operates Mission Cove, an affordable housing community for families and seniors with set-asides for veterans and transition-aged foster youth, and La Misión Village, another affordable housing site. While these projects provide affordable housing, they do not offer the additional wraparound services Greenbrier Village provides.
In a related effort to expand affordable housing, the Oceanside City Council recently approved $16.25 million in conditional funding for three additional projects. This funding includes $4.25 million for Coast Villas, a 56-unit development targeting low-income, homeless seniors and veterans, with units specifically set aside for unhoused seniors and veterans.
Another $6 million was allocated for a 111-unit affordable housing project at 2136 S. El Camino Real, which will serve low and very low-income households, including 30 units for people with developmental disabilities. The third project, Olive Park Apartments, received $6 million and plans to offer up to 282 affordable housing units on Olive Drive.
